Boris Johnson Joins Chorus against Bulgarian, Romanian 'Benefit Tourists'

Bulgaria in EU | December 4, 2013, Wednesday // 09:25|  views

“Don’t forget there are very considerable pressures on the system you have big competition for jobs, you have got many young Londoners who feel they are not getting a fair suck of the sauce bottle,“ London mayor Boris Johnson said, speaking on LBC Radio’s

Romania and Bulgarian migrants should have to wait a year before they claim benefits in Britain, London mayor Boris Johnson has said.

Last week British Prime Minister David Cameron announced a crackdown on so-called "benefit tourism", citing fears over mass immigration from Bulgaria and Romania.

Under the proposed series of measures new migrants will not get out-of-work benefits for the first three months and payments will be stopped after six months unless they have a "genuine" chance of a job.

But Boris Johnson believes the government should go further than that.

“I think you could go for six or 12 months,“ Boris Johnson said, speaking on LBC Radio’s Ask Boris programme.

"I don’t see why not, don’t forget there are very considerable pressures on the system you have big competition for jobs, you have got many young Londoners who feel they are not getting a fair suck of the sauce bottle and why not?”

Johnson added he would prefer to extend the “transitional” rules introduced when Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, which meant migrants from these two countries can only work in the UK in seasonal jobs such as fruit picking, or if they are self-employed.

He said David Cameron should push for such changes as part of it’s renegotiation with the EU.

“Why not get more freedom to vary the conditions in which you open your own borders. I think that’s the right battle to have,” he said.

I think frankly it’s up to people coming to this country to seek the jobs that are available and not to get drawn into criminal activity.

“If people come here with the intention of finding work and they cant find work then, you know, they should obviously go back.”

He added that there were some jobs and professions – such as bricklaying – where there were real shortages of workers.

“There are plenty of jobs for hard working people and I do think it is ridiculous that we are currently in a situation where it is very difficult to stop huge numbers of people effectively coming and not working.”

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Tags: Boris Johnson, David Cameron, benefit tourism, social benefits, UK, migrants, Bulgarian, Romanian, Bristol, Britain, Bulgarians, Romanians, UK, London mayor

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